'We're disappointed in the outcome': NASA shares photo of sideways Intuitive Machines moon lander, which died 12 hours after touchdown
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The second moon landing attempt by Houston-based Intuitive Machines has ended just as the company's first did — with the lander dead after tipping over on its side inside a lunar crater, a new image confirms.
According to NASA, which hired Intuitive Machines to carry several scientific instruments to the moon as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, the lander prematurely suspended operations on Friday (March 7) when its battery depleted just 12 hours after the fumbled landing.
Before shutting down, the lander's various instruments managed to transmit about 250 megabytes of data to NASA, including a telltale photo showing two of the spacecraft's legs jutting upward, a half-lit Earth hovering majestically in the distance.
Related: Blue Ghost spacecraft captures rare, stunning views of Earth eclipsing the moon
It is not yet clear what went wrong for the IM-2 mission and the Athena lander, which officially touched down on the moon's near-side at 12:30 p.m. EST on Thursday (March 6) and ended operations at 1:15 a.m. on Friday. NASA noted that the spacecraft also landed more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) from its intended landing site near the moon's south pole.
"While we're disappointed in the outcome of the IM-2 mission, we remain committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of landing and operating on the Moon," Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
This was the second lunar landing attempt for Intuitive Machines in as many years. The company completed its first landing on Feb. 22, 2024, when the Odysseus spacecraft touched down, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.
RELATED STORIES
—'Everything has changed since Apollo': Why landing on the moon is still incredibly difficult in 2024
—Space photo of the week: 55 years ago, the 'world's loneliest man' snapped this iconic Apollo 11 image
—Pale Blue Dot: The iconic Valentine's Day photo of Earth turns 35 today — and you're probably in it
However, during its descent Odysseus' landing lasers malfunctioned, causing the spacecraft to temporarily lose the guidance needed to estimate landing distances. One of Odysseus' legs snapped on the lunar surface, and the spacecraft fell on its side, limiting some of its functions. The spacecraft fell silent one week after landing, shutting down power before the frigid lunar night set in.
NASA has committed to working with Intuitive Machines on two more lunar deliveries, with its IM-3 mission scheduled for 2026, and IM-4 slotted for 2027.
The landing attempt comes just days after a successful touchdown by rival space company, Firefly Aerospace. The company's Blue Ghost spacecraft aced its landing on Sunday (March 2), sending home an image of the lander's perfectly-upright shadow cast onto the lunar surface. Blue Ghost, also part of the CLPS initiative, has 10 NASA instruments in its lander that will operate on the moon's surface for about 14 Earth days (one lunar day).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
What a Spiral in the Oort Cloud Could Mean for Life on Earth
A routine planetarium show at New York's Hayden Planetarium just triggered a potentially historic discovery in astrophysics. While curating scenes for 'Encounters in the Milky Way,' a team of scientists and animators stumbled across something surprising: a spiral structure hidden within the data modeling the Oort Cloud, which is one of the most mysterious regions in our solar system. The Oort Cloud, theorized to be a spherical shell of icy objects orbiting far beyond Neptune, has long remained unseen. Yet when astrophysicist Jackie Faherty noticed the unexpected shape during a simulation, she called in Oort Cloud expert David Nesvorny to investigate, according to a CNN report. It wasn't an animation glitch. It was real data. Nesvorny, who had generated the simulation, admitted he'd never viewed his data in three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates. When he did, the spiral structure emerged clearly. 'Weird way to discover things,' he said. 'I should know my data better.' This accidental find prompted Nesvorny to run weeks of simulations on NASA's Pleiades Supercomputer. Every model confirmed it: a spiral, caused not by the sun's gravity alone, but by the galactic tide—the pull of the Milky Way's own gravitational field acting on the outermost parts of our solar system. Ultimately, he published the findings in The Astrophysics Journal. The discovery reshapes long-held assumptions. While the outer Oort Cloud might still be spherical, the inner part appears to twist in a spiral pattern, suggesting our solar system is more dynamically connected to the galaxy than once thought. Still, verifying the spiral won't be easy. The icy bodies in the Oort Cloud are too small and distant to observe directly. Even with the powerful new Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists expect to find only a handful—far short of the numbers needed to fully confirm the structure. But as Faherty put it, the dome of a planetarium can now double as a tool of discovery. 'This is science that hasn't had time to reach your textbook yet,' she said. What a Spiral in the Oort Cloud Could Mean for Life on Earth first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Relay Therapeutics Appoints Claire Mazumdar, Ph.D., to Board of Directors
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RLAY), a clinical-stage precision medicine company transforming the drug discovery process by combining leading-edge computational and experimental technologies, today announced the appointment of Claire Mazumdar, Ph.D., to the Company's Board of Directors, effective June 9, 2025. 'It is a privilege to welcome Claire to our Board, where she will draw from her strategic and operational experience in clinical-stage oncology to offer guidance as we prepare to initiate our Phase 3 ReDiscover-2 trial in breast cancer soon,' said Sanjiv Patel, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Relay Therapeutics. Dr. Mazumdar is the founding Chief Executive Officer of Bicara Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCAX), a clinical-stage oncology company. Prior to Bicara, Dr. Mazumdar led business development and corporate strategy at Rheos Medicines, where she supported the precision medicine company's global partnership with Roche Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career, she held a position at Third Rock Ventures, where she focused on company formation and business development. She holds a B.S. in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned both an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Ph.D. in cancer biology from Stanford School of Medicine. About Relay Therapeutics Relay Therapeutics (Nasdaq: RLAY) is a clinical-stage precision medicine company transforming the drug discovery process by combining leading-edge computational and experimental technologies with the goal of bringing life-changing therapies to patients. As the first of a new breed of biotech created at the intersection of complementary techniques and technologies, Relay Therapeutics aims to push the boundaries of what's possible in drug discovery. Its Dynamo® platform integrates an array of leading-edge computational and experimental approaches designed to drug protein targets that have previously been intractable or inadequately addressed. Relay Therapeutics' initial focus is on enhancing small molecule therapeutic discovery in targeted oncology and genetic disease indications. For more information, please visit or follow us on Twitter. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, implied and express statements regarding Relay Therapeutics' strategy, business plans and focus; the progress and timing of the clinical development of the programs across Relay Therapeutics' portfolio; the expected therapeutic benefits and potential efficacy and tolerability of RLY-2608, both as a monotherapy and in combination with other agents, and its other programs, as well as the clinical data for RLY-2608; the interactions with regulatory authorities and any related approvals; the potential market opportunity for RLY-2608; the cash runway projection; the expected benefits resulting from the implementation of the cost saving measures and potential ability to fund key value drivers; and the expectations regarding Relay Therapeutics' use of capital and expenses. The words 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'could,' 'would,' 'should,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'believe,' 'expect,' 'estimate,' 'seek,' 'predict,' 'future,' 'project,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'target' and similar words or expressions, or the negative thereof, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks associated with: Relay Therapeutics' restructuring activities may be more costly or time-consuming than we expect or may not achieve their intended results; the timing, execution, and expected impact of Relay Therapeutics' restructuring plans (including the scope and timing of workforce reductions); the expected decrease in annual spending; the expected sufficiency of Relay Therapeutics' existing cash resources; the internal and external costs required for Relay Therapeutics' ongoing and planned activities, and the resulting impact on expense and use of cash, may be higher than expected, which may cause the company to use cash more quickly than expected or to change or curtail some of Relay Therapeutics' plans or both; the impact of global economic uncertainty, geopolitical instability and conflicts, or public health epidemics or outbreaks of an infectious disease on countries or regions in which Relay Therapeutics has operations or does business, as well as on the timing and anticipated results of its clinical trials, strategy, future operations and profitability; significant political, trade, or regulatory developments, such as tariffs, beyond Relay Therapeutics' control; the delay or pause of any current or planned clinical trials or the development of Relay Therapeutics' drug candidates; the risk that the preliminary or interim results of its preclinical or clinical trials may not be predictive of future or final results in connection with future clinical trials of its product candidates and that interim and early clinical data may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures; Relay Therapeutics' ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the timing and outcome of its planned interactions with regulatory authorities; and obtaining, maintaining and protecting its intellectual property. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in the section entitled 'Risk Factors' in Relay Therapeutics' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent Relay Therapeutics' views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Relay Therapeutics explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. Contact:Pete Rahmerprahmer@ Media:Dan Budwick1AB973-271-6085dan@
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Russian scientists discover a new island in the Caspian Sea — the world's largest inland body of water
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new island has appeared in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, a Russian research expedition has confirmed. The island, which does not have a name yet, is located 19 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of another island called Maly Zhemchuzhny, according to a translated statement published by the Russian state-owned news agency TASS. The island is only slightly elevated above the water level, and its surface was damp and mostly flat but covered in sand ridges at the time of the expedition, the statement said. The new island emerged due to a drop in the Caspian Sea's water levels, Stepan Podolyako, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO RAS) who was on the expedition, wrote in a statement shared with Live Science. The Caspian Sea, which lies at the junction between Europe and Asia, is the largest inland body of water in the world when measured by its surface area of 143,200 square miles (371,000 square kilometers). "The occurrence of new islands in the Caspian Sea is associated with cyclical processes of long-term fluctuations in the level of [these] landlocked waters," Podolyako wrote in the statement. "Awash islands are uplifts on the seabed that come to the surface during periods of falling sea level." The Caspian Sea's levels fell during the 1930s and 1970s before bouncing back — and they started dropping again around 2010, Podolyako said. Related: Surprised Russian school kids discover Arctic island has vanished after comparing satellite images Climate change may be to blame for the recent decline, because the Caspian Sea's water levels partly depend on evaporation rates, Podolyako said. There are also tectonic shifts happening beneath the sea, which could explain changes in water levels, he added. Scientists first spotted signs of the new island in satellite images in November 2024. A pile of sand and sediment had breached the surface of the water and was beginning to dry, according to the statement in TASS — but the claim that a new island was forming remained somewhat controversial. During the recent expedition, researchers managed to approach the island to confirm its existence, but they were unable to land due to bad weather and shallow water conditions. Photographs taken from a drone revealed the island's size and some of its features, but further research is needed to describe it thoroughly. RELATED STORIES —New island that emerged from the ocean off Japan is now visible from space —Melting ice in Antarctica reveals new uncharted island —Newly discovered island is the closest land to the North Pole "A next visit to the island is planned [...] in the second half of 2025," Podolyako said. A decision about the official name of the island will then be made, depending on whether researchers find any notable characteristics to name it after. Otherwise, the island could be named after a person who has made significant scientific or cultural contributions in the area, Podolyako said. The island currently sits just inches above water level, but that could change with declining river flows into the Caspian Sea in the summer and fall, according to the statement in TASS. This may lower water levels around the island and increase its elevation.